Felbar and Grandia were at war.
Though, perhaps, you could not have guessed at that fact at the moment. Indeed, in spite of its proximity to the border, the town of Saint Fleur was bustling along at its own, usual pace. A large town, just falling short of being considered a city, business here was just as usual. Certainly, it was growing somewhat sleepier now given it was reaching late evening, but you couldn't have expected just by looking at it that this was a town so close to potential location of intense battle.
The setting sun was painting the cobblestones, and those who walked along them, with an orange glow. Several shops were closing up, the one that was notably still open with no intention of closing down just yet was a purveyor of various trinkets, hybrids of technology and magic that performed rather simple but interesting functions such as light-gathering mirrors or pens that write by themselves. Some people were still going about their jobs, while others were packing up to go home. Several food stands in the center of town, around the statue of 'our Lady' Saint Fleur(the town's namesake, naturally), were closing up for the night, while a nearby restaurant remained open and quite busy, many customers sitting outside in the comfortable temperature of a summer evening.
Just outside town, however, was a reminder of the growing hostilities. The Felbar Royal Army had constructed a base, tents bearing Felbar's colors of blue, white, and gold dotting the landscape in great numbers, and even six sets of greatarmor and several tanks. It was clear that the conflict was intensifying given such a large camp and been assembled so close by. But within the town, you never would have guessed at that fact.
Of course, there were other reasons for the residents of Saint Fleur to be excited.
The girl had declared that she was tired of being cooped up in autonomous carriages and the high-class room reserved for visting members of the royal family.
And so, Princess Vivienne Felvarre Croix was insistent that they take a walk around town. Not simply to bask in attention given by the townsfolk(they'd likely not seen one of the Princesses before, not in real life), but also to experience the town first hand. She had never been outside the capital before, after all! Saint Fleur was smaller, even if it was a quite large town, and it was somewhere she'd been determined to go. Indeed, her stubborn insistence was likely the only reason that she had been allowed to go, along with the nearby military presence, entourage of maids(and her trusted butler), and body guards following her at essentially all times. Vivienne was really rather proud of the crowd she had drawn, but she also wanted a chance to check out all the local shops and meet people on their own, too. That was kind of difficult when she had a full crowd of people following her at all times, now, wasn't it?
"Mister Silverwood!" she declared, "I want to visit some of the shops."
Vivienne's butler seemed to usually know how to handle these matters, so naturally she would as him.
Not everything, however, was bright and cheerful, even at the best of times. And certainly not in the time of a growing war.
The lithe, small figure that now cut across rooftops and through back allies had a singular purpose. There were reports of a spy. A Grandian spy was lurking somewhere in Saint Fleur. The entire purpose of her presence in this town, so close to the border, was specifically to hunt people like that. To kill them, no matter what it required. Yashima's alliance with Felbar guaranteed their aid, even in such small ways as this. They could not lend military aid... so instead they lent one of their assassins.
Fujioka Chisame's geta made not a single sound as they hit the cobblestone. She'd silenced her every movement, not a single soul, except perhaps those who excelled at piercing illusions, would be able to hear her. Of course, they could see her... but she would not be an assassin worth her salt if she had not accounted for that possibility. It was important that everyone saw her as strictly her lady's bodyguard and servant. While certainly she filled that role, that was hardly the only purpose she fulfilled. The suspected spy's movements likely should have brought them to... somewhere around here. One of the oldest buildings in town. Empty, at the moment... or so it should have been.
The Yashiman girl quietly edged forwards, reaching into her kimono to withdraw one of her Altered Machines. Her eyeglass. Raising it to her right eye, she began her observation, the device's properties allowing it to pierce these walls as if they were nothing. If someone was here, she would find them.
On the Grandian side of the border, things were somewhat different.
As close as they could manage, the Grandian Imperial army had assembled their own camp, their own greatarmor units. It was even rumored that a certain... particularly powerful soldier would arrive if a battle began, among the soldiers of Grandia.
The atmosphere was tense, as it always was. Battle could begin at any moment.
And yet...
The sensation that some, those who lived in another world altogether, felt at that moment was something like being lifted. Like they were suddenly being drawn up and away, suddenly torn from their lives to drift aimlessly. Was there a woman's voice? No, it was hard to tell what the sounds around them were. But suddenly the air around them streamed with colors. Suddenly their bodies felt lighter. Or heavier? It was hard to tell. It was like something was being altered. Something about each of them was changing in some way. And then... everything went black.
When each of them came to, their world, perhaps even their bodies, had changed.
But they all had memories. Memories of this new world, of being... someone else. In addition to their memories of their original selves, they had all been given a new life. In a new world.
A world at the brink of an all-consuming war.
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